Pulborough Brooks

Blog post: Binoculars and bird food - special offers from the shop

Anna Allum — Mon, 20 May 2013 11:38:00 GMT

Our shop manager Trevor has some very special offers for you at the moment - but there's not much time left...

If you're looking for some new binoculars, you've got two days left to get 10% off RSPB binoculars if you buy them here at Pulborough Brooks. If you would like to take advantage of the offer, but can't get here until the weekend, give us a ring today or tomorrow and we'll reserve them for you at the special price.

As one door shuts, another one opens...

From 22 May (this Wednesday) until 04 June if you buy 2 sacks of birdfood (the big 12.75 kg sacks) you get £10 off. If you buy 3 sacks, you'll get £15 off and so on. You can mix and match the different seeds, but the offer doesn't apply to the peanuts. And don't worry we'll help you out to the car with your shopping!

Blog post: A good Hobby – in more ways than one

Sophie May Lewis — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:49:00 GMT

It is always nice when you can spend at least some of your day at work doing what you love best, even better when it means you can leave the computer and the office behind and head out into glorious sunshine and count butterflies!

Yesterday I did just that. We are doing a butterfly transect on the reserve this summer; a type of survey which runs along a set route and involves recording species and number of butterflies seen along designated sections of the route, at regular intervals such as once a week. Records on the survey yesterday included brimstone and peacock, green veined white and a good number of small white, along with additional sightings of orange tip, many more small whites and a speckled wood, all of which were unfortunately off the transect route!

All the tree species are well into leaf now, the oak being the slowest to burst its buds. Below them, flowers are blossoming; carpets of hazy bluebells, splashes of bright pink campion and constellations of white starry stitchwort.

I was serenaded all around the trails by bird song; blackbirds flute-like notes, song thrush repetitive phrases, blackcaps warble and whitethroat scratchy song. The nightingales were the loudest however, the best two spots for these that I encountered were the entrance to Fattengates Courtyard and along the Pig Run by Little Hanger Hide. (Just ask at the visitor centre if you are unsure where these places are on the reserve). It was a nightingale infact that lead me to my favourite species of the day – a Hobby. This small falcon is a migratory bird of prey and usually arrives here in Southern England in spring, after the swallows, martins and swifts have arrives. These agile expert aerial hunters often add the nimble swift to their menu, but will also catch smaller prey such as dragonflies. This individual was perched in the top of a dead tree at Jupps Viewpoint, near to Nettleys Hide, causing a nearby nightingale and other small birds to shout their high-pitched alarm calls, which attracted our attention.

If you visit the reserve this summer, don’t forget to look up to the sky. You might be lucky enough to spot a Hobby, performing its aerobatics high up against the clouds on sharply angled wings, over the wetland or the heathland.

If birds of prey aren’t your thing and the smaller beauties of life catch your eye, look out for the shimmering dragonflies and damselflies that are emerging from our ponds to zoom over the water, or the dainty butterflies that flutter along the flowers and hedgerows.

Photo: Berkley Square !

gerryM — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:29:00 GMT

Photo: Berkley Square

gerryM — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:21:00 GMT

Photo: Berkley Square !

gerryM — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:20:00 GMT

Photo: Berkley Square !

gerryM — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:18:00 GMT

Photo: Chiffchaff

Neil — Sat, 04 May 2013 22:46:00 GMT

A beautiful Chiffchaff.. fabulous little birds.

Photo: Nightingale

Neil — Sat, 04 May 2013 22:44:00 GMT

The Nightingales at Pulborough really are fabulous. If you are patient they will usually come and say hello... or sing it anyway...

Blog post: May, a bit like April

Pete Hughes — Fri, 03 May 2013 16:05:00 GMT

Cloudless skies, warm sunshine, blackthorn in sensational full whiteout mode, butterflies on the wing, bluebells just blueing-up and the first damselfly of the year...it must be April. Except it is early May. Last year, the blackthorn reached the same stage of flowering exactly a month earlier.

Several hobbies and buzzards overhead at varous points today, greenshank at west mead, lots of song from garden warblers, nightingales, whitethroats, lesser whitethoats, blackcaps, nightingales et al.

Speckled wood, brimstone, orange tip, peacock, red admiral, small white and small tortoiseshell all seen on the reserve today.

Blog post: Hobby, siskins

Pete Hughes — Wed, 01 May 2013 09:13:00 GMT

Saw my first hobby of the year yesterday, high over the heath. There have been up to 4 seen over the south brooks in the last week, but hopefully the main passage of these brilliant to watch falcons is still to come in the first 10 days of may.

Around the trail, nightingales still singing like mad, and now lesser whitethroats and garden warblers are part of the singing throng, after a bit of a slow start to the spring. Less seasonal is a pair of siskins visiting the feeders in the courtyard - the striking black and yellow-green male can be heard adding his continuous chattering-then-stop-and-buzz song to the hubbub and appears remarkably untroubled by passers-by. The photo below was taken at a range of about 2m!

Photo: Jay

Mick Harris — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:08:00 GMT

Photo: Male Blackcap

Mick Harris — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:06:00 GMT

Seen from the Little Hanger Hide

Photo: Female Blackcap

Mick Harris — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:04:00 GMT

Photo: Nightingale concert.

Mick Harris — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:01:00 GMT

Pictured along 'Adder Alley' at the Little Hanger hide end. One of three or four individuals to be heard there at the time.

Blog post: Bluebells, blackcaps and beetles (oh, and of course the nightingales!)

Anna Allum — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:54:00 GMT

I'm pleased to report that our nightingales are still performing beautifully and delighting visitors from several hot spots around the nature trail - can't wait for this weekend's festival. Over the past 10 days our choir has really grown in voices and volume with blackcaps, willow warblers, chiffchaff, whitethroat and sedge warbler all regulars. The lesser whitethroat has occasionally put in an appearance and this morning a grasshopper warbler was reported reeling behind adder alley. All rather splendid really.

Out on the heathland trail, and especially in black wood, the wildflowers are slowly responding to the warmer weather - a few bluebells are starting to flower, bright sunshine-yellow celandines are adding a welcome splash of colour and there is a stunning display of pretty wood sorrel ( a beautiful delicate white flower with purple veins). A super male blackcap serenaded me from a perch just above the new viewpoint over the South Brooks and my first green tiger beetle of the year scuttled along the pathway.

Whilst nightingales will sing during the daylight hours, there is something magical about being here as dusk approaches when this special songster takes centre stage. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings from 6.30 pm through til 9.30 pm the team here will be on hand to celebrate at our annual nightingale festival. Come along and join us.

Blog post: Flora and Fauna, and a New Face

Sophie May Lewis — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 14:51:00 GMT

Hello!

The eagle-eyed amongst you may have already spotted that the name on this blog post is not that of regular Pulborough Brooks Bloggers, Anna or Pete, but a new face! I am Sophie May Lewis, Visitor Services Trainee and started at Pulborough Brooks at the beginning of the month. I will be in the post, a heritage Lottery Funded trainee-ship, for 18 months. I am excited to have this opportunity to work with the RSPB and the great team here at Pulborough Brooks and look forward to some exciting times to come!

We have had lots of sunshine around the trails this week and the combination of a few showers with the milder weather, has given the spring wildlife a much needed reprieve from the long winter. Swallows, house martins and sand martins swoop over the pools and some lapwing have begun to display and nest. A very smart looking wheatear provided good views close to the visitor centre this morning and two yellow wagtails were reported around the pool at West Mead hide today. The hedgerows are filling with blackcap, chiffchaff, willow warbler and a few whitethroat, with new arrivals every day, whilst the nightingales are getting their vocal cords well tuned. A lack of leaves on the trees means many woodland and hedgerow birds are quite visible at the moment, but spring growth is starting and soon it will be a bit trickier to spot the shy species!

Both Adder and Slow-worm have been seen enjoying the sun in sheltered out-of-the-wind spots.

The spiny stems of blackthorn are starting to be covered with white blossom, confetti like petals blowing in the wind, lady's smock (cuckoo flower) has started flowering and there are masses of primroses on every sun-dappled bank.

So if you are looking for something to do this sunny weekend, why not pop in and visit the reserve. There is so much to see - who knows what you may discover?!

Photo: Grass Snake (Natrix natrix)

Dawn & Jim — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 05:18:00 GMT

Grass Snake (Natrix natrix) from Nettley's Hide
17 April 2013

Photo: Whitethroat (Sylvia communis)

Dawn & Jim — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 05:11:00 GMT

Whitethroat (Sylvia communis) from Hangers View
17 April 2013

Photo: Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos)

Dawn & Jim — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 05:07:00 GMT

Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos) near the gates between Winpenny and Little Hanger Hides with video link below.
17 April 2013

http://youtu.be/n54udFty1Ts

Photo: Adder (Vipera berus) part 1

Dawn & Jim — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 05:01:00 GMT

part 1 of the Adder (Vipera berus) emerging from the bushes along Adder Alley between Winpenny and Little Hanger hides
17 April 2013